Migration: Almost 40 percent of people in the opportunity stay stay permanently

Of the people who have taken advantage of the opportunity to stay created by the traffic light government, almost 40 percent have so far been able to secure a permanent right to remain. This emerges from an answer from the federal government to a parliamentary question from Green MP Filiz Polat, which the dpa news agency reports on.

The opportunity residence right was introduced at the end of 2022. It was aimed at tolerated people who had been in Germany continuously for five years as of October 31, 2022. They received a temporary residence permit on probation for 18 months in order to meet the requirements for a permanent right of residence during this time.

Tolerated people are people who are generally obliged to leave the country but cannot be deported for certain reasons - for example for family reasons, because they do not have any identification documents or are ill. Toleration is always limited. As of December 31, 2025, 190,974 of 232,067 people required to leave the country had a toleration permit.

The opportunity stay was not an option for criminals and people who intentionally provided false information about their identity and thereby prevented their deportation. At the end of the 18 months, anyone who was primarily able to support themselves, had sufficient knowledge of German and a clear identity, or had "taken all measures necessary and reasonable for them to clarify their identity" should be given permanent right of residence.

More than 90,000 people wanted to seize the opportunity

According to the federal government, a total of 91,116 residence permits were issued in accordance with the regulation on the right to stay. By the deadline of September 30, 2026, 32,233 of them had received a permanent right of residence for adults. A permanent right of residence for teenagers and young adults was granted in 4,135 cases.

As of the reporting date, there were still 7,131 foreigners with the opportunity to reside. Your title is valid until its expiry. Of the people who benefited from the opportunity stay regulation, 27,763 were staying in Germany at the end of September with a so-called fictitious certificate. This is given to anyone who has submitted an application for a residence permit that has not yet been decided. 11,935 people fell back into toleration.

Other people who had received a temporary residence permit either received other residence permits, their permit was revoked, expired or was rejected. According to the federal government, 3,957 people who had once opted for the opportunity to stay were no longer in Germany as of the reporting date.

Black and Red did not extend the regulation

In the coalition agreement, the CDU, CSU and SPD agreed to significantly tighten migration policy and did not extend the regulation on the right of residence. The Lower Saxony Green Party politician Polat criticizes this. She says that the figures now provided by the federal government show that "if people are given the necessary conditions, they will also seize the opportunities that are offered to them."

Often the only thing that is missing is the legal security of residence in order to even receive a work permit, be able to attend a language course or find a company that is willing to provide a job. Employers also needed the security that their employees would not suddenly be pushed away from the workbench.